Claims
- 1. A seat belt assembly which comprises:
- a first belt connector;
- a retractor assembly;
- linking means between said first belt connector and said retractor assembly;
- a mounting bracket;
- a second belt connector lockable with said first belt connector to form a tongue-buckle combination;
- a first connecting member connectable with said bracket;
- first connecting means for connecting said first connecting member with said bracket;
- a second connecting member connectable with said second belt connector;
- second connecting means for connecting said second connecting member with said second belt connector;
- said first connecting member being coupled with said second connecting member and being movable relative said second connecting member between first and second positions, said second belt connector being retracted relative said bracket in the first position, said second belt connector being extended relative said bracket in the second position; and,
- maintaining means composed of at least one biasing member and being for normally maintaining said second belt connector and said bracket in the first position and for exerting a predetermined force to retain said first connecting member and said second connecting member in the first position, said maintaining means also being for permitting said second belt connector and said bracket to move under resistance from the first position to the second position in response to an external force exceeding the predetermined force, said maintaining means also being for returning said second belt connector and said bracket from the second position to the first position upon decrease of the external force below the predetermined force.
- 2. The assembly of claim 1 and further a second mounting bracket attached to said linking means at one end of said linking means, wherein said first belt connector comprises a tongue, said tongue being positioned between said retractor assembly and said second mounting bracket so that said tongue is freely slidable about said linking means between said retractor assembly and said mounting bracket.
- 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said maintaining means is further for permitting repeated movement of said second belt connector relative said bracket from the first position to the second position in response only to the application of external force.
- 4. A seat belt assembly which comprises:
- a first belt connector;
- a retractor assembly;
- linking means between said first belt connector and said retractor assembly;
- a mounting bracket;
- a second belt connector lockable with said first belt connector to form a tongue-buckle combination;
- a first connecting member connectable with said bracket;
- first connecting means for connecting said first connecting member with said bracket;
- a second connecting member connectable with said second belt connector;
- second connecting means for connecting said second connecting member with said second belt connector;
- said first connecting member being coupled with said second connecting member and being movable relative said second connecting member between first and second positions, said second belt connector being retracted relative said bracket in the first position, said second belt connector being extended relative said bracket in the second position; and,
- maintaining means for normally maintaining said second belt connector and said bracket in the first position and for exerting a predetermined force to retain said first connecting member and said second connecting member in the first position, said maintaining means also being for permitting said second belt connector and said bracket to move under resistance from the first position to the second position in response to an external force exceeding the predetermined force, said maintaining means also being for returning said second belt connector and said bracket from the second position to the first position upon decrease of the external force below the predetermined force, and said maintaining means comprising at least one compression spring connected between said first connecting member and said second connecting member and exerting a predetermined force urging said first connecting member and said second connecting member into the first position.
- 5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein said linking means, said first connecting means and said second connecting means comprise flexible webbing.
- 6. A seat belt assembly which comprises:
- a first belt connector;
- a retractor assembly;
- linking means between said first belt connector and said retractor assembly;
- a mounting bracket;
- a second belt connector lockable with said first belt connector to form a tongue-buckle combination;
- a first connecting member connectable with said bracket;
- first connecting means for connecting said first connecting member with said bracket;
- a second connecting member connectable with said second belt connector;
- second connecting means for connecting said second connecting member with said second belt connector;
- said first connecting member being coupled with said second connecting member and being movable relative said second connecting member between first and second positions, said second belt connector being retracted relative said bracket in the first position, said second belt connector being extended relative said bracket in the second position, one of said first connecting member and said second connecting member including a center portion and two outer portions, the two outer portions defining a pair of oppositely-facing grooves, the other of said connecting members including a center portion and two outer portions, the outer portions of the said other connecting member defining a pair of oppositely-facing tongues slidably received within respective grooves of said one connecting member; and,
- maintaining means for normally maintaining said second belt connector and said bracket in the first position and for exerting a predetermined force to retain said first connecting member and said second connecting member in the first position, said maintaining means also being for permitting said second belt connector and said bracket to move under resistance from the first position to the second position in response to an external force exceeding the predetermined force, said maintaining means also being for returning said second belt connector and said bracket from the second position to the first position upon decrease of the external force below the predetermined force, and said maintaining means comprising a compression spring connected between said first connecting member and said second connecting member and exerting a predetermined force urging said first connecting member and said second connecting member in the first position.
- 7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said linking means comprising flexible webbing, and wherein the center portions of said first connecting member and said second connecting member lie one over the other and define inner and outer surfaces, said connecting means comprises flexible webbing having a first end and a second end, said flexible webbing from the first end to the second end extending consecutively adjacent the outer surface of one center porition in a first direction, back in the other direction between the inner surfaces of the two center portion, and back again in the first direction adjacent the outer surface of the other center portion, said first and second connecting means comprising means for connecting one end of said webbing to said bracket and the other end of said webbing to said second belt connector, respectively.
- 8. A seat belt assembly which comprises:
- a tongue;
- a belt buckle;
- mounting brackets;
- linking means for linking said tongue to one mounting bracket and for linking said buckle to another mounting bracket;
- linking portions for joining said linking means with said belt buckle and said tongue;
- a retractor assembly; and,
- collecting means for collecting and paying out predetermined slack in said linking means in lieu of collection of such slack by said retractor assembly.
- 9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said collecting means comprises an elastic member, said elastic member having at least two ends and at least two of the ends being attached to said linking means so that said elastic member is approximately aligned with said linking means, said elastic member having a first position in which said elastic member is at rest and a second position in which said elastic member is stretched.
- 10. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said collecting means comprises:
- a substantially U-shaped member coupled with one of said linking portions and being movable relative the one of said linking portions between first and second positions; and,
- maintaining means for normally maintaining said U-shaped member in the first position and for exerting a predetermined force to retain said U-shaped member in the first position relative the one of said linking portions, said maintaining means permitting said U-shaped member to move under resistance from the first position to the second position in response to an external force exceeding the predetermined force, said maintaining means also returning said U-shaped member from the second position to the first position upon decrease of the external force below the predetermined force.
- 11. A seat belt assembly comprising:
- a tongue;
- a belt buckle;
- mounting brackets;
- linking means for linking said tongue to one mounting bracket and for linking said buckle to another mounting bracket;
- linking portions for joining said linking means with said belt buckle and said tongue;
- a retractor assembly; and,
- an elastic member movable from a first position to a second position in response to a predetermined external force and said elastic member returning to the first position as the external force diminishes.
- 12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said linking means is flexible webbing and said elastic member has at least two ends and at least two of the ends are attached to said flexible webbing.
- 13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said flexible webbing forms an approximate arch between the two attached ends of said elastic member when said elastic member is in the first position, and said flexible webbing being longitudinally approximately parallel said elastic member throughout the length of said elastic member in the second position.
- 14. The assembly of claim 13 and further including a cover enclosing said elastic member and said flexible webbing.
- 15. A seat belt assembly comprising:
- a tongue;
- a belt buckle;
- mounting brackets;
- linking means for linking said tongue to one mounting bracket and for linking said buckle to another mounting bracket;
- linking portions for joining said linking means with said belt buckle and said tongue;
- a retractor assembly;
- a U-shaped member being coupled with one of said linking portions and being movalbe relative said one of said linking portions between first and second positions; and,
- maintaining means for normally maintaining said U-shaped member in the first position and for exerting a predetermined force to retain said U-shaped member in the first position relative said one of said linking portions, said maintaining means permitting said U-shaped member to move under resistance from the first position to the second position in response to an external force exceeding the predetermined force, said maintaining means also returning said U-shaped member from the second position to the first position upon decrease of the external force below the predetermined force.
- 16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein said U-shaped member is provided with at least one bore.
- 17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said maintaining means comprises:
- at least one compression spring, said compression spring fitting axially within said bore and said compression spring having a one end extending rearwardly external of said bore; and,
- at least one projection on said one of said linking portions, said projection arranged to be in registry with the axis of said compression spring and said projection projecting inside one end of said compression spring.
- 18. The assembly of claim 15 wherein said U-shaped member has at least one lateral groove positioned to receive a part of said one of said linking portions in such a way as to limit said U-shaped member from rotating relative said one of said linking portions.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 111,182, filed Oct. 22, 1987.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
111182 |
Oct 1987 |
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